To Love a Sith
by ArSommers
Summary: ["The Reylo Chronicles", Book 3] Ben is captured and interrogated by the First Order; a small group of the Rebel Alliance come to Ben's aid.
1. Chapter 1

There was a time when the name Kylo Ren held meaning. He was a man both feared and revered, hated and respected, by many across the galaxy. The name invoked the image of a masked Sith cloaked in black, unpredictable and brimming with the power of Darth Vader.

Now, that same man lay in the cellar of a pub on a planet whose name many couldn't even pronounce, without the faintest notion of what was going on outside the four enclosed walls. All Ben knew was the laughter of those above, having a grand time socializing while he bided his life in solitude.

When he began his first phase of relocation, Ben considered his time on Endor to be a form of punishment. For him, being stuck in a colony of primitive teddy bears that hardly spoke Basic was bad; now, he would give anything for some silent interaction with Ewoks, or at least the opportunity to stretch his legs in the woods. But he'd remained on that planet long enough, and Uncle Luke decided it was time for Ben to be moved to a different location, both for his and the Ewoks' safety.

Uncle Luke. Ben thought about how time made the Jedi older and wiser since he'd last seen him. The Ewoks had rejoiced when Luke returned to Endor, but the only emotion Ben could feel upon their reunion was shame. Ben knew what pain he'd caused his uncle, what he'd done to the two people closest to Luke. No words Ben could think of would accurately describe his guilt. "I'm sorry"? "The dark side forced me to commit such acts"? "I have wronged you in every way possible"? All those phrases sounded insincere.

The words still clung unspoken in Ben's throat when Luke finally approached. As soon as their eyes locked, Ben saw the look of betrayal shining brightly in his uncle's eyes. Unable to stand knowing he was the source of that agony, Ben turned his gaze away, wishing to see anything else but what was in front of him. It was in that moment Ben felt Luke's arms wrap around his body, securing him in a reassuring embrace.

All was not lost.

And then there was Rey, standing silently in the background while the scene unfolded like a surreal dream. She stood as still as a statue, with a humbled expression etched onto her face as the former Sith slowly put his arms around his uncle in return. Clutching Luke tightly, Ben stared at Rey in wonder. His life was like a puzzle whose pieces had been cut into tiny fragments and strewn across the floor, but somehow this girl was slowly rearranging the mess into something beautiful.

The memory felt like a constriction on Ben's chest. He did not miss commanding the First Order, nor barking orders at those below him. All he longed for was the girl from Jakku. Without speaking a word she never failed to reassure him, even if she didn't know it. All the darkness of the Force could surround Ben, but Rey's light was somehow bright enough to clear a way for even a dark soul such as himself.

The sounds of shouting from above pulled Ben from his thoughts. Clearly the bouncers had taken on more than they could handle that night. Ben felt a slight twinge of guilt for Ki-ah, the Rodian who'd agreed to take Ben in for a few weeks. Even though Ki-ah had confined Ben to this small space and locked the door during operating hours, the alien's heart was in the right place, even if part of the creature's intrigue was in obtaining additional finances.

Ben reached out with the Force, thinking he could manipulate one of the patrons causing the problem. When dealing with the hazy fog of drunkenness, almost any species was easy to influence.

But it was not weak minds Ben felt above the floorboards. Far from it, whoever was causing the disturbance was in control of himself. _Themselves_ , Ben realized. There was more than one behind this struggle.

There was also anger, far beyond that of a bar fight or someone getting cheated out of a deck of cards. This anger had simmered for a long time, searing with a white-hot hate that made even Ben shudder.

And it was coming closer.

Glasses began smashing one by one, and there was a loud thump as a table overturned. Footsteps thudded as people ran back and forth, trying frantically to get away. Ben stood up and began to strain his concentration even harder, when suddenly he felt like a thousand eyes had turned on him.

A shot from a blaster narrowly missed Ben's head. The door leading to his small sanctuary ruptured in a fit of splinters, sending bits of wood around the room. Using the Force as a shield, Ben deflected some shards from hitting his face.

"You already have a scar," a female voice said. "I don't see how a few more could make any difference,"

The gray armor of Captain Phasma walked through the door, her black cape billowing as she descended the small staircase. Stormtroopers followed behind, raising their blasters as Ben came into their view.

"I'd like to keep the other side unmarred, thank you," Ben said. He looked around for anything he could use as a weapon, but there wasn't much he could work with. Aside from his cot, a desk, chair, and a few barrels of ale, there was nothing that could put him on the defensive. Of course, Ben could easily use the Force to swipe a few blasters from the hands of the Stormtroopers, but with the white guards quickly flooding the cellar and extending out into the pub, Ben would have been overpowered within moments.

"It wouldn't make a difference," Captain Phasma replied. "The Jedi girl has marked you either way,"

Ben felt his insides grow cold at the prospect of what might have transpired while he was in hiding.

"What have you done to her?" he growled, a hint of Kylo Ren audible in his voice.

"The girl will receive her punishment in due time," Captain Phasma said as a Stormtrooper with a different type of blaster raised his rifle. "Right now, you are the First Order's main focus,"

As the Stormtrooper pulled the trigger, Ben let out a silent scream, hoping against hope that Rey would somehow hear him.


	2. Chapter 2

Perspiration beaded her forehead as Rey woke up with a jolt. One moment she'd been in a dreamless sleep, the next she'd heard Ben's voice, not with her ears but from within. Her every nerve stood on edge in a fight or flight reflex, but there was nothing in her sleeping quarters. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that something, somewhere, had gone terribly wrong.

Rey looked around the room, wondering if anyone else had felt what she had, but as far as she could tell her bunkmates remained sound asleep. This did not provide reassurance, as she knew she was the only Force-sensitive person in this room full of pilots.

She had to speak with her Master.

Quickly changing into trousers and a tunic, Rey left the makeshift dormitory. The halls were empty, save for a few patrols that'd been unlucky enough to have nightltime guard duty. Winding her way through the concrete halls, she found Luke's chambers and pounded on the door. She'd barely knocked twice before the door swung open.

"Something's gone wrong," Rey said, letting herself into his room. She'd always waited until her Master invited her in, but now was not the time for formalities.

"I felt it too," Luke said as he hastily closed the door. "A call,"

Rey nodded. "From Ben,"

It was then that Rey noticed how exhausted Luke looked. How many times had he been called upon to save the galaxy, and how many times had he heeded the cries of those who called him? She couldn't begin to count.

"I need to visit Ki-ah," Rey decided. She was not asking permission, only stating a fact. She knew Luke was not going to dissuade her; he felt the gravity of the situation just as much as she did. The problem was finding a means of transportation, as their most recent relocation meant the use of pilots' personal X-wings were restricted. Even if she had access to her individual ship, another unannounced exit would rouse suspicion among the crew, which would eventually filter down into the rest of the Resistance. After all, the only people who knew about Rey aiding Ben were Luke and…

"Poe," Rey said. "You, Poe, and I can borrow a Starfighter,"

Luke sat down slowly, carefully. "I cannot leave," he said, the words paining him as he spoke. "It would not be a wise choice to leave the other young Padawans unattended. Should there be another surprise attack by the First Order, they would be vulnerable,"

"Then Poe and I will go," Rey said. "We'll take BB-8. And C-3P0 for translation purposes,"

"What makes you so sure Poe will be willing to make the journey?" Luke asked. "We do not need to read minds to know how that man feels about Ben,"

Rey paused. "I don't know," she confessed. "But every moment we spend speculating, the more precious time we lose,"

Luke sighed. He remembered what it was like to be a young Jedi with the weight of the world resting on one's shoulders. But with age came additional responsibility, not necessarily burdens but loads to carry. No matter how much Luke loved his nephew, he couldn't put his Padawans' lives in danger. Rey, on the other hand, was not encumbered with this paternalistic responsibility. If she wanted to take on the First Order, there was no stopping her. Being alone on Jakku had made her strong willed and independent, and if she was intent on making sacrifices for the betterment of others he knew she would follow through.

"It will be dangerous," Luke warned. "We do not know the gravity of the situation unfolding,"

Rey nodded. "I understand. That is why I will seek Ki-ah first,"

"Absolutely not," Poe said. "A mission like that would be suicide,"

For the briefest of moments Rey felt the urge to call upon the side of the Force she rejected, to twist Poe's mind into agreeing with her. She was certainly strong enough to manipulate someone to do her bidding, perhaps even powerful enough to take on Luke himself. But the thought was only that: a fleeting temptation, nothing Rey would ever act upon. To manipulate her friend's mind in such a way …it's what a Sith would do.

Rey ran the through the mental list of ways the Force could be used to expand one's consciousness. There had to be something…

"If you won't listen, can I at least show you something?" Rey asked.

Poe hesitated. He knew Rey was going to pull some "Jedi trick"; he also knew he trusted her with his life.

"Fine," Poe said, forcing the words out before he could change his mind.

Rey closed her eyes and placed her fingertips on Poe's temples. As soon as she made contact with his skin, the small room they sat in was surrounded by a purple fog, visible to only the two of them. Rey could feel Poe's sense of amazement, even though her eyes remained shut.

"I'm going to share some of my memories with you," Rey explained. "I want you to see what I've seen,"

Poe watched, awestruck, as a purple outline of Snoke, disproportionate to his actual size, appeared in the corner of the room. Closer to them a battle was raging, with Rey fighting through a handful of Stormtroopers. Poe had not been there at the time, but he knew what battle this was: it had taken place shortly after Finn's death. Poe knew Rey was well aware of this, as he noticed a silent tear run down Rey's cheek.

Snoke had managed to take Rey's lightsaber. The Stormtroopers had her surrounded and were ready to end her life when suddenly Ben appeared from the shadows. The Stormtroopers paused, wondering what brought Kylo Ren to the situation, when suddenly Ben struck them down, almost in one fell swoop. Ben then turned his blade with Snoke's, clashing in a heated fight that ended in the Supreme Leader's death.

The memory swirled in a mist of haze, rearranging itself into a later fight between Rey and Ben in a forest. They fought-no, _Rey_ fought, while Ben deflected every attack without trying to take the offensive.

What struck out in this scene, Poe noticed, were Ben's eyes. Poe himself had seen the evil that glimmered in Ben's eyes when he'd been taken hostage on Jakku five years ago. But these eyes told a different story, one of a man who had seen too much and had too big a burden to bear alone.

"Do you understand now?" Rey asked, the purple mist beginning to fade as she opened her eyes. "If he was the same man we met all those years ago, why would he betray his own like that? I searched his mind in that forest, and there's not a menacing thought to be found.

"No matter how much I remind myself what Kylo Ren has done, I can't help but think how Ben is the son of a Skywalker, and no longer a slave of a Sith,"

"But you're not willing to risk your life just because of his Force-sensitive lineage," Poe said. "You have feelings for him, don't you?"

Rey bit her lip. "I can deny my feelings until the end of time, telling myself I could never care for someone who had caused so much pain, but it would be a lie. Ben risked his own life to save mine, without asking anything in return. Believe it or not, underneath those black robes is a boy who used to look at the stars and dream they were sending him secret messages.

"This isn't Emperor Palpatine we're talking about. This is a man who's struggling, and wants desperately to do what is right. To permanently label him a villain would be a great falsification,"

Poe mused over what Rey showed him and what she'd said. Even he couldn't deny that something, somehow, had changed.

"If you'd asked me to spare this man a year ago I would have thought you'd lost all common sense," Poe said.

"I would have thought the same," Rey admitted.

Poe ran his fingers through his black hair, or at least he hoped it was black. The war had sprung patches of premature gray hairs. Both he and Rey had seen far too much for as young as they were.

Life, especially during times of war, was too short. And life was certainly far too short not to provide second chances.

Choosing his words carefully, Poe asked, "When would you like to leave?"


	3. Chapter 3

Ben awoke to a wave of nausea. Keeping his eyes closed, he became vaguely aware of lying on a hard surface. As the feelings of sickness began to subside, Ben became more and more aware of his surroundings. Ben could hear sizzling cracks of an electronic beam, which minimized the prisoner's use of the Force*, from around his wrists and ankles; he was lying in a diagonal position; and aside from the silence, the only noise was the sound of somebody breathing nearby.

Not daring to let in too much light yet, Ben partially opened his eyes. This small movement was enough to alert the Stormtrooper standing guard over Ben.

"Tell General Hux he's awake," the Stormtrooper spoke into a receiver.

Ben closed his eyes again. He was most likely on a Star Destroyer, probably the Finalizer. Whatever his captor had in mind for him, it certainly wouldn't be a welcoming party.

By the time the door swung open to the sound of boots, Ben made another effort to open his eyes. There stood Hux, wearing a smirk that showed he was pleased with how the situation had played out.

"Welcome home," Hux sneered, taking a seat in a nearby chair as two Stormtroopers flanked each side of the general.

"I'm honored to be back," Ben looked down at the slab he was on, the same one that held Rey a few years ago (albeit with a few modifications), and said, "And you gave me a seat of high honor as well. How thoughtful,"

Hux made a small gesture with his finger. One of the Stormtroopers came forward and smacked the butt of his blaster upside Ben's face.

"Mind your manners," Hux warned, "Or you will have more than one slash across that face,"

Fighting against the pain that stretched from his chin to his cheek, Ben raised his head. "What do you want me to say?"

Hux stood up. "Something useful," he said, walking over to Ben and leering into this face. "We did not bring you back here for mere formalities. What we need is information on the Jedi girl,"

The mention of Rey brought Ben to a higher level of awareness. He leaned forward as far as the restraints would allow. "What have you done with her?" he asked, remembering how Captain Phasma had avoided the question when he'd asked it at the pub.

"You should know better than to ask questions such as that," Hux said. "If we had her, we wouldn't be having this conversation now, would we?"

Ben leaned back. So he was nothing to the First Order, now that he had changed his allegiance. Ben had regained too much light to join the Empire, but he was still considered too dark to be a part of the Resistance. It seemed there truly was no place for him.

"Why should I tell you anything?" Ben asked, a hint of forlornness in his voice. Hux picked up on this verbal shift, his lips twisting into a thin smile.

"Because then we will consider extending your life," he answered. "As a sympathizer to the Rebellion, you have no place among the First Order. But at the same time, to extinguish someone with your power would be wasteful,"

"Then why bother killing Rey?" Ben asked. "Why not spare her?"

"She's too far manipulated into the Jedi way of life," Hux said. "Your story is different. We know the struggles you face. Perhaps, one way or another, we can convince you to see the error of your ways,"

"So that's all the First Order considers me to be," Ben said. "A weapon to do their bidding,"

Hux walked behind the chair he'd sat in and placed his hands on the rim. "Don't tell me you enjoy a life on the run," he said. "Jumping from planet to planet, trying to escape the First Order like you're some kind of low-life vermin. A man of your stature must surely miss power and prestige. After all, it's in your blood,"

"You don't know a thing about me," Ben said, "What I've been through,"

"Perhaps not," Hux said. "But I know who you were, and what you are capable of," Hux nodded at one of the Stormtroopers. "Bring it forward," The Stormtrooper complied, bringing a covered object sitting in the corner of the room to the chair by Hux.

In one quick flick of the wrist, Hux removed the sheet that covered the object, revealing the mask of Kylo Ren.

The pain that shot through Ben's head was excruciating. Remnants of Kylo Ren's hate burned through Ben like a wildfire.

"That pain does not have to be directed at you, you know," Hux said. "Embrace what one was, and then unleash that pain upon others who deserve it. The great Darth Vader unified the galaxy in ways nobody dreamed possible. So I ask, why would you waste the rest of your life sympathizing with those who wish to destroy what he once started?"

[*Similar to what held Obi-Wan in Episode II.]

[July 2017 update: I've written a one-shot spinoff on what happened to Ben, titled "The Vision in His Arms"]


	4. Chapter 4

"He says the First Order came and immediately began searching every crevice of the pub," C-3PO translated. "When they stopped at the cellar door Ki-ah began to protest ever more vehemently, but the Stormtroopers blasted their way through it nonetheless,"

"Ask Ki-ah what he overheard," Rey said, glancing around. The tavern was no high-end establishment by any means, but the boarded up windows from where the First Order entered certainly didn't help the atmosphere. Nor did it help with the clientele; the pub was much quieter than it should have been for a weekend evening.

C-3PO asked the question in a slur of what Rey considered unintelligible words. After the Rodian responded, the droid said, "Ki-ah claims he did not hear the conversation, but not much was spoken, as the discussion was brief. Shortly after Captain Phasma entered with the Stormtroopers, they remerged carrying Ben. It seems he was unconscious,"

Rey felt her throat constrict. "Was he wounded?" she asked.

Another bought of translations went through he droid's circuitry. "It appears not. Ki-ah thinks they used a high grade stun gun,"

"Does Ki-ah have any idea where the First Order may be headed?" Poe asked.

More warbling. "He says he does not know, but he did hear something about them going to a Star Destroyer that held the Finalizer,"

"Kylo Ren's old ship," Rey confirmed. "Did he say anything else?"

"Nothing else Miss Rey. Although I might add Ki-ah used more colorful language to describe the getaway ship,"

Rey remained silent as she and Poe boarded the Millennium Falcon, set the coordinates to locate any nearby Star Destroyers, and returned to their separate chambers. The two had not said much since they left. After all, there was not much to converse about. They were on a rescue mission, and the odds of success were not in their favor.

 _Maybe that's why Han was never a fan of knowing the odds_ , Rey thought. Still, it was better to make an attempt than to hold regret from not knowing the outcome.

Rey was certain that one way or another the First Order would find the Falcon. Han's old ship had been on their radar for years. And with every dark eye in the galaxy searching for her, whispers that she made an appearance at a public bar would certainly trickle down and catch their attention.

What Rey didn't know, however, was if the First Order knew about her and Ben's relationship. Albeit, their relationship was hard to define. Never had the two engaged in any activities that would indicate they were an item. Every time Rey had seen Ben since they shared their first kiss, it was to check in with him on some distant planet, with some strange alien life hovering protectively nearby. Rey cherished the time she and Ben did have, but it was not of the quality many couples envisioned for each other. There were no walks, candlelit dinners, or anything of the sort. When all was said and done, however, they engaged in one of the most important activities possible: they talked. And when they conversed, Rey would momentarily forget the war that raged between the stars. The two could easily spend an hour simply comparing the quality of their living conditions ("At least you have a room all to yourself," Rey would say) or the pros and cons of the various hastily made dinners they were served.

The fledgling Jedi rested her head on her hands. If there was one thing she always held on to, it was hope: hope for her parents return, hope for the war to end, hope for a better life. But in that moment, all Rey hoped for was that she, Ben, and Poe would make it out of this situation alive.

There was a violent shake as the Millennium Falcon rocked from side to side. Gripping the nearest object to keep from falling, Rey steadied herself and joined Poe in the cockpit.

Sure enough, they'd been discovered, and were being pulled by tractor beam into a Star Destroyer. Rey reached out with the Force, searching for one particular ship…and found it.

The Finalizer was onboard, just as they'd planned.

Poe and Rey crouched under the steel floorboards, waiting for the Stormtroopers to invade the Falcon. Rey thought back to the last time she and Finn hid like this from potential threats, but she quickly forced the thought from her mind. This was no time to reminisce, especially when a plan required precision on her part.

The Falcon's entry ramp thumped against the docking bay. There was a clattering sound as boots tramped across the floor, completely unaware that they stood above the people they searched for. Rey just hoped the Stormtroopers would not find C-3P0 before she could make her first move. The slow pace of the protocol droid would surely have slowed her and Poe down, so they switched the gold droid off and placed him in a locked closet. The other droid on the rescue mission, BB-8, was a different story, as he moved much faster. The orange and white sphere sat faithfully between Poe and Rey, ready to help in whatever way he could.

Rey closed her eyes and searched the cabin, penetrating her mind's eye through the steel above her head and searching for the Stormtroopers' Captain. This was one of the many lessons Luke taught her during her training: Jedi needn't use their eyes to see what was in front of them.

After a few minutes of waiting, Rey found what she was looking for. When Phasma crossed the threshold and was standing directly above the two Rebels, Rey called upon the Force, crashing it down onto the silver leader. Securing Phasma with invisible arms, Rey pulled the captain to the floor, clutching her in a grip so tight she could not break loose.

Rey tried to tune out the distracting shouts of surprise from Phasma's guard. A few Stormtroopers tried to pull their captain to her feet, but her body may as well have weighed as much as a Hutt. Other troopers turned frantically left and right, searching for the culprit behind this surprise attack.

The gray helmet was clear in the Jedi's second vision. Rey pulled out a lightsaber-formerly Ben's- and placed the tip between the black marks that shielded Phasma's eyes.

"Great ready to run," Rey whispered to Poe and BB-8, and then powered the blade on.

The shouts of confusion quickly turned to screams of horror. Rey took their momentary distraction and threw open the hatch, trying not to look as Phasma's body rolled off to the side. Poe flung BB-8 out of the hole, and then joined Rey as the three made their way off the ship. After the initial shock wore off, the Stormtroopers began firing lasers at the three Rebels. Rey reached out again, caught each bolt, and tossed them backwards, just as Ben had once taught her.

Most Star Destroyers had similar floor plans, this one was no exception. After spending the last couple days familiarizing themselves with the general layout as they wandered through space, Rey, Poe, and BB-8 maneuvered their way to the section designed for holding prisoners. Generally, interrogation rooms and prisoner cells were not far from the docking bay. This was to make the transition of captors easier. While this gave a shorter distance for the three Rebels to run, there was a flip side to the coin… the area held additional security. As they had anticipated this, Rey threw every Jedi trick she could think of at the Stormtroopers so that they could get through.

The first stop along the way was interrogation room. Both Rey and Poe suspected the First Order, Hux in particular, would not grant Ben the luxury of pacing around his cell. They would make him uncomfortable in whatever way they could.

BB-8 squealed to a halt as Poe and Rey stopped at the door, the latter placing her hands on the frame and staring at the slab of metal as if she expected it to tell her something.

"I can't find anything in here," Rey said after a moment, a note of panic in her voice. "It's like something's blocking my vision,"

"Can you unlock the door?" Poe asked.

Rey ran her hand horizontally along the door. "Yes,"

"Then you better hurry," Poe said as a fresh wave of Stormtroopers began to round the corner. "We've got company,"

Rey bit her lip. Anything, or nothing, could be in that interrogation room. If they went in, no doubt the Stormtroopers would block their only method of exit. Of course, provided there were only around twenty Stormtroopers, Rey could push them back so she and her friends could get through. Still, such a task was physically taxing, and would surely slow her down. As it was, her Jedi powers were already beginning to take their toll.

"Rey?!" The tone of Poe's voice indicated time was not on their side.

Forcing the locks open, the three clambered into the room, the door slamming shut behind their heels. As soon as the locks sealed, Rey was simultaneously hit by the image of Ben on the slab and the suffocating darkness that surrounded them.

Rey imagined that when she found Ben, he would be grateful beyond words. Now that they had succeeded, it was a different story. All Rey saw and felt was seething hatred pointed at her.

"Get out," Ben said slowly, his body trembling against crackling energy restraints. Part of his face was swollen from an injury, and the redness from the bloodshot in his eyes gave Ben an almost inhuman appearance. He looked like he hadn't slept in days.

Rey took a cautious step forward. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this scared. "Do you know who I am?" she asked, her voice sounding far away in her own ears.

"Of course," Ben scoffed as a tear rolled down his cheek. "You're Rey,"

She gave a small nod. "We're here to get you out,"

"Rey-" Poe began to protest, but she silenced her partner with a thrust of her hand. Angered by how she'd misused the Force on his best friend, BB-8 began to roll forward in protest, but Rey shoved the droid backward without touching him as she took another step forward.

"Don't come near me," Ben warned, flattening his back against the diagonal slant of the slab.

Rey felt her stomach drop. "What have they done to you?" She loosed her restrictions on Poe and BB-8, placing her concentration fully on Ben.

"I SAID DON'T COME NEAR ME!" Ben was now thrashing against his restraints, a wild look renewed in his eyes.

 _Please_ , Rey prayed as she entered Ben's mind with unnatural ease, _Let at least a trace of him still be there._

Bracing herself to face the man who killed his parents, Rey only met ripples of darkness coming from Ben's mind. She let out a small breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

He was alive. Ben was still alive.

So where was all this darkness coming from?

Rey spun around, looking for anything that could cause such an anomaly in the Force. She found it almost automatically, sitting on a chair. Without a second thought Rey strode over to the mask of Kylo Ren and brought the red lightsaber down upon it, cutting the object in two. The two halves sizzled from the heat, quavered unsteadily for a moment, and finally fell on opposing sides of the chair to the ground.

For every Force-sensitive person in the room, it felt like a storm had suddenly ended. Everything became clearer, now untainted by the hate that had once imprisoned Ben. Rey slashed her saber against the sensors which emitted the Force dampening electric restraints, and caught Ben before he hit the ground.

"You're not real," Ben said quietly, his eyes half open from exhaustion as he slid into Rey's arms. "You're only the dark side's twisted projection of her. The one who is real is safe from all this chaos,"

"Listen," Rey said, cradling Ben so he wouldn't hit the ground, "Whatever you think is going on, I promise I'm real. But if we expect to get out of this place alive, we need to move now. The longer we wait, the more Stormtroopers we'll have to contend with," Rey looked up. "Poe, BB-8, help me get him to his feet,"

Without saying a word, Poe came over. BB-8, on the other hand, stayed rooted where he was.

"Come on," Poe said.

Reluctantly, the droid rolled forward, placing himself behind Ben's back to prop him up while Rey and Poe slung Ben's arms around their shoulders.

"On the count of three," Rey said. "One, two…" With their combined effort, they were able to lift Ben up.

"Can you walk?" Rey asked.

"I don't know," Ben mumbled, his head hanging limply forward.

BB-8 twittered a comment from behind. "I'm going to push through the Stormtroopers on the other side," Rey told Ben, "Then we're going to the docking bay and getting in the Millennium Falcon,"

"Sure," Ben said, dejection and disbelief in his voice.

A sense of confusion settled on Rey. What had the First Order been doing to him?

"Right," Rey focused on the cylindrical locks buried within the doors. "Here we go…"


	5. Chapter 5

Getting through the Stormtroopers behind the door of the interrogation room proved easy enough. It was when Rey pushed the wave of soldiers around the Falcon that her strength began to falter.

"Rey!" Poe yelled as she dropped to one knee. Letting go of Ben, Poe scooped Rey into his arms and carried her onto the Rebel spacecraft.

"No," Rey mumbled, trying to struggle out of his grasp while her vision spun. "You need to get Ben," After Rey was on the Falcon Poe reluctantly went back for Ben, brought him aboard, and jumped the ship to hyper-speed as soon as the old engine allowed.

Once Poe verified they were a safe distance from the First Order, he turned to his co-pilot, who was still recuperating from her Jedi trick. "So, are we going to talk about what happened back there?"

Rey rubbed the back of her neck. "There's nothing to talk about," she said. "You'd be drained too if you'd just pushed a bunch of people backwards,"

Poe shook his head. "I didn't mean that. Luke's told me about how using too much of the Force can drain you. What I mean is what happened in that room with you, BB-8, and me,"

Rey replayed the scene in her mind. Aside from Ben's denial of reality, everything had gone as planned.

"Since when did you decide it was okay to use the Force on your friends?" Poe reminded her, a hurt look shining in his eyes.

"Oh," Rey had barely given the action a second thought. "You were trying to dissuade me from helping Ben,"

"No, I wasn't. Whatever darkness was affecting you two, it didn't affect BB-8 or me. I was trying to show you the Kylo Ren mask when you suddenly sealed my lips together like glue," BB-8 made a mechanical grunt from behind, not wanting his violation to be forgotton. "And pushed BB-8 back against the wall,"

"Look," Rey turned around to face the two of them. "I'm sorry for using the Force on you both, I truly am. I was just so focused on the task that I didn't want any interruptions that could jeopardize the mission, you know? I now know I misjudged you, and I promise it won't happen again,"

"But will it?" Poe asked. "If you view us as obstacles, we may not be able to alert you in time whenever we're hit with the next unexpected threat. BB-8 and I may not have superpowers like you and Ben, but we can still help nonetheless,"

When Rey remained silent, Poe continued. "I didn't go on this mission just for Ben's sake; I also did it for you. You're like family to me, and I know you've been through enough for five lifetimes," Poe sighed. "You deserve some happiness after this crazy life we've been dealt. But if you're going to choose certain people over others when push comes to shove, I can't promise that I'll be there the next time you need help, not when split second decisions can put us all in harm's way,"

"I know," Rey said quietly, the truth bearing on her shoulders like a weight. She wondered when her sense of entitlement had begun clouding her judgment.

Poe stood up. "Just take some time to think about what we discussed," Poe said as he exited the cockpit, leaving Rey alone with her thoughts.

Rey entered the chambers where Ben slept, doing her best to remain quiet as she took a seat on the floor next to his bunk. He looked so innocent lying there with his eyes closed. Gingerly, Rey stroked his hair, brushing it out of his eyes so she could get a better look at the face she'd come to treasure.

"What have you done to me?" she whispered. "Many run from the First Order, but today I chased after them so I could find you,"

There was no response, only silence as Ben's chest rose and fell.

"I was so scared," Rey confessed. "When I entered that room I thought I'd found Kylo Ren. I don't know what I would have done if that had been the case. In good faith I could never join you if that man were to re-emerge. But even then, knowing what I know now, I would still try to fight for you," Rey tucked a loose strand of hair behind his ear. "For us,"

"I watched you die," Ben said, his eyes still closed. Rey jolted back with a start. She had no idea he'd been awake, or for how long.

"Ben?" she asked, taking his hand as he slowly opened his eyes.

"I watched you die in that room a thousand times in a thousand different ways. In the first few hundred, you always died in my arms. After a while I learned the pain lessened if I rejected you," Ben's eyes locked with hers. "I didn't mean what I said earlier. I just didn't believe it was really you,"

Rey cupped his face in her hands. "It's okay," she said, surprised by the tears welling in her own yes. "I won't let them hurt you any more,"

Ben covered her hand, interlacing his fingers with hers. "I won't let what I saw become a reality," he promised. "You're the only living, breathing person that makes sense in this universe any more,"

"Then let's change that," Rey said. "Let me help you show the galaxy who Ben Solo really is,"

Ben smiled sadly. "Your optimism knows no bounds," he said, "But I do not think the world is ready to see me as I am just yet,"

"Then let me wait with you until it does,"

Ben's eyes widened at Rey's suggestion. "No," he said after a moment. "The Resistance needs you, and Luke needs you. There's still so much you can learn from him,"

"There is no set end date for my training," Rey said. "It doesn't have to finish this year, not even the next. And the Resistance has many capable pilots, one of which is flying this very ship," Rey placed her chin on the mattress. "Right now, the most important thing for me is making sure you're okay,"

Ben touched her face, trying to verify she was, in fact, real. "If I can survive these last few days, I can survive anything,"

Rey stood up. "Then for my piece of mind, let me make sure," Slowly to prevent any additional harm to his injuries, Rey crawled onto the bunk, lying down with her back facing Ben. He slid his arms around her, determined that this time her soul would not depart as he held her.

Out of respect, neither tried to make a move on the other. They just lay there, content with silence after all they'd been through. And so they rested, savoring each other's company as both drifted towards the dreamy abyss. It was right before Rey entered this euphoric state that she heard Ben whisper, "I love you,"

[To be continued in the fourth installment of "The Reylo Chronicles", "The Girl From Jakku"...]

[July 2017 update: If you enjoyed this story, I've written a one-shot spinoff titled "Scars of the Past"]


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